A disc drive device records data on a disc such as CD or DVD, and reads data from a disc utilizing a disc drive built in the device. An example of inserting the disc into the device includes the slot-in system. In the slot-in system, when the disc is inserted in a slot (disc insertion slot) provided on the side surface etc. of the disc drive device and gently pressed, the disc is automatically transferred into the device by rollers equipped in the device. In this system, two types of discs having different diameters, 8 cm and 12 cm, are inserted into the same disc insertion slot by the same process. For reading out of the data by the disc drive, it is required to precisely place the disc on a predetermined position in the device. Therefore, in the case of the slot-in system, it is essential to precisely place the inserted disc on the predetermined position, where the disc can be driven, in response to its size.
The above function is implemented by providing the device with a sensor for determining size of the inserted disc, thereby placing the inserted disc on the predetermined position in response to the determination result. However, in this case, production cost increases due to the use of the sensor. Here, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-302384 discloses the invention to reduce the production cost and to implement the above function. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-302384, the invention includes a disc stopper receiving an inserted disc and controlling a distance of movement in a direction of insertion, a select arm contacting the disc in different positions depending on a size of the inserted disc, a spring biasing the select arm at a predetermined degree, a stopper arm connecting the disc stopper and the select arm, and a spring biasing the select arm at a predetermined degree. By linkage of the above components, the inserted disc is precisely placed on a predetermined position. However, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-302384, the above function is implemented mainly by two springs and three other components, and causes the need for many components. Therefore, this is inconvenient in terms of space-saving in the disc drive device, and for minimizing the size of the device.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-302384